


I'm Moving Forward

by translations151 (shizuumi151)



Category: Free!
Genre: A chapter every Sunday, M/M, Some OCs in the background, The first part (20 chapters) is complete and corrected, The rating's not so important for the first part but is essential for the second, The second one is currently in the works, Traces of Seijuro/Gou come later, You can follow my progress on my ffnet profile, yes I changed the rating from Mature to Explicit because it's necessary for the second part lol
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-27
Updated: 2015-08-16
Packaged: 2018-04-11 13:20:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4436957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shizuumi151/pseuds/translations151
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He looks above his shoulder, and sees the world, his, that he fled and abandoned along with his dreams. Deep down he wants to forget, to go back, to disappear, but above all to move forward. /a.k.a. let's give Sousuke the ending he deserves</p><p>Translation of <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/3736036/chapters/8280799">J'avance</a> by <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/users/Papy_1412/pseuds/Papy_1412">Papy_1412</a></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [J'avance](https://archiveofourown.org/works/3736036) by [Papy_1412](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Papy_1412/pseuds/Papy_1412). 



> This guy deserves way more than melancholically staring at the horizon.

A young man gazed upon the sea, his hand slightly raised. His arm was nestled in his brace. And his jaw closed.

His best friend’s words reverberated in his head. Sousuke saw him as if he were in front of his eyes. He saw his anger, when he’d tugged off his sports jacket and saw his injured shoulder. He saw his tears, when he had to explain what had happened. He saw his dread, when he’d understood that not everything went as it should in a perfect world.

When he’d understood that it was over. That Sousuke had lost; not because he was too weak, but because his body had betrayed him. That his future, he reduced to a single fact, one that he had to accept: for him, swimming was over.

He thought about it since then and found it almost funny. In manga, on television, injuries almost never happened. And if they did, they wouldn’t last. The athlete always returned, and regained his honour. And even if few believed in such utopian recovery, Rin seemed to, and Sousuke couldn’t bring himself to shatter the slim hope that Rin kept and thought, maybe, would let him move forward.

But Sousuke, he experienced it. He felt the pain, He felt the pain, the tearing in his heart, his shoulder, and he knew. He couldn’t fix it. He’d tried to wait and treat it. Nothing had worked. Swimming would only worsen his condition. He would never swim competitively again. He would never be an Olympic swimmer. He would never stand by his best friend’s side on the podium.

He wasn’t a hero. He was a simple teenager who’d pushed too hard, who wasn’t able to accept his limits, and now faced the hard reality of an impossible future. However long or hard he’d hang on, cry, scream, or carry on, still nothing would change. He knew it was too late.

The waves rolled along the bay, below the setting sun. He didn’t know what to think, because he didn’t know what to do. He was happy, deep down, because he’d gotten what he wanted. His last race with Rin. But he didn’t feel too ready yet. A few more minutes, and Yamazaki Sousuke would finally go to reunite with his family, impatient to see him again, without knowing that after he owned up, the evening wouldn’t be a festive one.

 _However_ … He’d choked up, and kept telling himself that, _however, now, here_ , he wanted to make the most what he could, if just a little longer, of what he dreamed of becoming, of the childish fantasy mercilessly slipping through his fingers, that he could never attain. A few more seconds, then he’d go back to being a high school graduate, headed for university, without any idea what he’d do there.

He closed his eyes, the air humid and salty, the first sun of springtime soft on his skin, the wind calm, nighttime falling. Fishermen were returning to the dock, some giving him perplexed looks, before paying no more mind and carrying on their way home, simply hoping that the young man at the edge of the pier wasn’t planning to commit suicide.

He heard a noise, and opened his eyes. An airplane flew by. Too small for him to see even though it was there. He stared at it, and the white trail it left in its wake. His hands trembled, and, for a second, he relived a few hours ago, when he’d said goodbye to his best friend who went, one more time, to go pro in Australia.

He smiled, and even if his smile was strained, it was sincere. He followed the plane with his eyes until it was too small for him to keep watching. A tremulous sigh came when he let out his breath. He blinked and closed his damp eyes.

The sun set. And Sousuke thought that it was time for him, too, to move forward.

**To be continued…**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone, I'm here to present my first Free fic, which is also a long one!
> 
> As you could see, the main pairing is quite uncommon: Sousuke and Makoto. I'm not usually the type to ship couples that come out of nowhere, but I don't know why, the moment this idea came to mind, it wouldn't leave. After all, again, 1) They're both plenty sexy, and 2) I think there could be really good chemistry between them.
> 
> Obviously, being mindful that they're practically strangers, I'm not diving in straightaway. This fic, I wrote for only one reason, and it's the first sentence you read: to give a little happiness to the poor boy that is Yamazaki Sousuke. Because I don't know about you, but his ending, near the ocean, like he was going to commit suicide, I really couldn't accept it (even if the idea still makes me laugh out loud).
> 
> So I tried to imagine what could come next in his life, on top of being freshly abandoned by Rin (seriously, what a poor guy, it won't even surprise me if he really does throw himself into the sea!), and trying, desperately, to move forward. And for that, I thought that there well was someone who could help him get there, if they got to know each other.
> 
> Anyway, I obviously tried to make them as IC as possible, making sure that their meeting and the relationship that will follow will be PLAUSIBLE, and developed. Don't worry, it won't happen in two chaps, absolutely not.
> 
> This fic comes in two parts, and the first is currently finished and consisting of 20 chapters (the second will also be 20 chapters), so you have before you a chapter a week for 20 weeks ^^ But there'll also probably be a pause once the first part's finished, during which I'll finish the second and final part.
> 
> I update every Sunday, so don't ask when the next one's coming out, or I'll kick your ass for not reading my notes (and you'd be better off reading them y'know, they're important!)
> 
> A big big big thank you to Yasmina, my beta, reader, and friend, for her re-reading, her advice, and her presence! For those who follow me, no it's not snf who deals with the correction cus the lady's MakoHaru FTW (stay back).
> 
> In short, hope you liked the beginning, and the coming chapters too! Given the prologue's quite short, I'm posting chapter 1 right after.
> 
> This fic is cross-posted on ffnet and AO3. For the savants among you, the pitch resembles that of Future Earth Future Sky, but don't worry, I started writing before FEFSKY was published, and the plot gets different later on.
> 
> You can see my progress on my ffnet account (same username).
> 
> * * *
> 
>   
>  _Translator's Notes_ :   
>  Hey guys!
> 
> As you can see, this is a translation of a French SouMako fic called _J'avance_. I'm studying French in school and want to pursue it in university, so when I found a whopping 58K-and-counting word long French Free! fic, it was definitely the best of both worlds for me! I got to brush up on my French, _and_ get swept along in a long, slow build fic at the same time :D I started translating the Prologue, just for fun, and I got really into it since I'm a sucker for languages and their nuances ^^" So I went and got permission from the author to take on the whole thing, and this is the result! I've made sure to cover the original tags, chapter titles, beginning + end notes, as well as the meat of the fic itself :)
> 
> Obviously I'm just an amateur translator, but I took some liberty with the translation and aimed to retain the original's essence rather than its exact wording (as well as some unclear pronouns and epithets when it got unclear). It's also my first time translating, too, but I hope it's still an enjoyable to read without too many mistakes anyway!
> 
> Also, if you like this fic and want to leave kudos, please, _please_ remember to leave kudos on the original work, too! I've seen English translations get more kudos than the original fic itself, which I think is just plain unfair, even though there aren't any bad intentions behind it. So if you wanna leave kudos, or even a comment, make sure to go to [the original fic](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3736036/) so Papy_1412 knows, too! After each translated chapter comes out, I'll stick a link to the original chapter so you can leave hearts or some kind words, no need to Google Translate x)
> 
> This'll really be the only note I'll leave on the translation (making the end notes for this even longer than the prologue itself 8')), so the rest of the end notes will all be from the original fic! Hope you can stick around and enjoy the story from here on out as I have! :D


	2. Moving forward with a snared foot

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta-read by Y.Yorozuya (ff.net), kudos to her!

Sousuke hugged his dad, then his mom, before boarding the train. When it pushed forward, their silhouette faded away. He sighed, lifted his gaze towards the ceiling, and felt he should sleep.

It would’ve been good, if he wanted it. But he didn’t know what frightened him the most; them getting scared, being angry, or acting like they’d made him do it…telling him that it was nothing to worry about.

Finally, the Shinkansen left the city, and started to pass through the fields, not even giving his eyes time to make out the landscape sprinting by. He gently raised his hand, pressed his palm against the glass, touching his fingertips to the sky blue strip that didn’t leave.

He kind of expected a reaction like this from his parents, since his mom had been fussing over him for the entire week, from the moment he had enough courage to sit at the table with them and tell them what had happened after they came back to Iwatobi. After they’d left him at Tokyo thinking everything would go well.

He didn’t want to think about it, he repeated to himself while forcing his attention back to the landscape, but he didn’t really know how to distract himself either. Rin was in Australia, so it was impossible to contact him now. His friends in Tokyo were waiting for him there, and were planning a little night out to catch up on the year they’d spent far from one another. Sousuke would later go to the university to drop off his registration form, finally completed.

He thought of filling it in the train, but his dad hadn’t left him the choice. They’d reviewed all the available courses, the older wishing to find one that would make him the most happy, and Sousuke wanting to find one that would reassure his mom the most. Not very smart, but he felt that it was the least he could do. Make his parents proud. With a bit of luck, Rin would be too, and he’d forget the idea of seeing Sousuke join him in the Games, one day.

He knew that it wasn’t rational. He’d gambled on his future to make his loved ones happy, but felt that tormenting himself for these last two years wasn’t the best of ideas either. He’d see what it would bring. He’d study medicine, maybe try to specialise in sports medicine, and then time would tell. It was the best choice he had.

So he pressed his head against the window ledge, and saw his empty face, occasionally glancing at his phone. He closed his eyes, and saw, behind his eyelids, the blue waves as they washed up on the beach.

/

Tokyo hadn’t changed, staying as the lively, noisy, restless capital that featured in its souvenirs. It was the start of the school year, and young girls walked along the streets, the skirts of their uniforms fluttering in the wind. He had a light smile thinking that it was the first year where he could study without needing uniform. But his smile didn’t last long, taken over by a bored expression, while the metro turned and rushed into the darkness of a tunnel.

He walked towards the university entrance, taking a look at his timetable, then steered himself towards the lecture hall. He felt a few eyes following him, maybe because of his imposing build, maybe because of his face, but he didn’t mind. He didn’t really think about it.

Sousuke sat in the middle, not wanting to be classed as some bookworm of a nerd who sat at the front, nor to end up with the dunces pretending to be dumb. He noticed that many other students did as he did, and felt even more ordinary than before. In the hulls of his eardrums, he faintly caught the blow of a whistle followed by a _take your marks_ , and shook his head, refocusing on what the professor was saying on the dais.

This time, his dreams weren’t leaving him any doubt about his melancholy. He’d stopped regretting, but the longing, the fantasies clung to him still. He’d always wanted to dive in, he dreamed of going to the pool, to stretch his arms to sink in the water, to feel the chlorine on his skin, the adrenaline in his veins. He’d wanted to swim, just to know if he would suffer or not. To be sure.

But he knew better than anyone that this longing wouldn’t bring any good. For two years, that curiosity was what made him go into longer recovery, because he was thinking of getting better, without being certain.

He registered that he’d scribbled five rings in the corner of his notes, and put his face in his hands, sighing heavily, before lifting his head back to the professor, pushing every wandering thought out of his head. Further down, he saw a head of chestnut hair that seemed familiar, but quickly forgot about it.

/

Sousuke knew that he wasn’t going for the best. He knew more and more that he was his own, and that not trying to remedy it wasn’t helping anything. He knew that he’d have to make an effort.

But nothing appealed to him. There were mornings where the only thing he wished was to go to the pool, to swim until it hurt. He sometimes woke in a sweat, when he came from a dream of a podium, of a redhead biting into gold with pointed teeth. 

He clutched his shoulder and swore, because it hurt, but inside. He wasn’t usually the type to keep his chin up. He thought he left it in the past, but perhaps he’d overestimated himself.

No matter how much he wanted to forget, the view from the starting block didn’t leave him. The sensation of his swimming cap, the goggles at his eyes, the crowd on the stands. He wanted all that, and knowing that he’d never achieve it was all the more painful.

He could confide in someone, but he didn’t know in whom. Rin? To worry him more and distract him from his goal? To disappoint him? No, not even in his dreams. His parents? Even worse. The list ended there, and he let out a derisive snort, towards himself, because he was pathetic.

He was a joke; he’d grazed the summit, but had tumbled down, the second-rate Icarus who couldn’t forget the sun’s warmth when he approached it.

So he got up. He walked. Crossed the roads. Arrived in front of the public pool. But the door was closed.

He wanted to continue to run, to swim, to go straight ahead. He wanted to move forward.

But he turned around.

/

The next day he slept through orientation. He didn’t want to, because he was supposed to attend his biology course for his future, and to please his parents. But he wasn’t getting there. He was stagnating, and when the first test came at the end of the month, he knew he’d be doing badly.

Sousuke felt a hand land on him, and jumped, straightening his head to come across a worried look, with eyes slightly down-turned.

“Uh…Is everything alright?”

He screwed up his eyes, and shook his shoulder, gripping his bag to leave the room without answering. It was only when he sat down in the metro that he remembered who the guy that woke him up was. Fear wrought his insides.

In the first biology lecture, he didn’t take long. He went to station himself in front of the other guy’s desk, whose name he didn’t even remember, and who froze upon seeing him. Sousuke settled with dissolving that look with his own, and exhaled in a menacing voice:

“You forget about me, okay?”

 **To be continued** …

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I assure you, the short chapters in the beginning get longer real quick (I'm incapable of writing short things). At any rate, I hope that you like the beginning, and what's coming next Sunday!
> 
>  
> 
> [ **Original Chapter** ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3736036/chapters/8280844)


	3. Moving forward because we're set back

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks Y.Yorozuya, my ever dear kouhai B)

What Sousuke wasn't expecting was that the other student was in several of his courses. Now, on instinct, he'd kept an eye out whenever he entered a classroom, and two or three times, he'd come across the same green gaze, which would always dart away soon after.

At least the message got across. He knew acting like an asshole wasn't helping him in opening up—something that, he noticed, he painfully missed—but he didn't know how to react otherwise. Fear made him violent; it wasn't the first time he acted like that. But at least when he'd cornered Nanase into the vending machine, they didn't cross paths several times a week afterwards. Here, seeing the other guy non-stop made him feel a bit guilty.

Sousuke knew he was pathetic. He knew, but reassured himself that at least Rin wasn't at risk of losing sight of his goal, just because Sousuke couldn't deal with his own future. That was all he wanted, after all. The sole dream he kept hold of was to see his friend on top of the world. All he would've liked was to be able to see it beside him.

Tapping a rhythm with his foot in the waiting room, he squeezed his follow-up booklet between his fingers, wanting to finish this week's exam quickly. He knew what he'd hear from his doctor, assuring him that slowly, but surely, his shoulder was healing. But between the lines, he could read that, despite everything, it would be forever weak at his side. He had to avoid using it too much in the future, and even more so in the present.

His name was called, and he went through the open door. The X-ray gel on his skin made him shiver, and he didn't look at the screen when it displayed the state of his joint. His doctor gave him a new prescription, and let him leave.

His feet led him towards the university gym. He changed, dressing methodically, ignoring the stares at his brace, and headed towards the machines. He started doing work on his rehabilitation, his eyes hazy. For a moment, he felt someone watching him, focusing on his brace longer than the others. When he lifted his head back up, he saw the guy from Iwatobi again. When he realised Sousuke had noticed him, he blushed, and went back to his barbells.

Sousuke watched him lift weights, his biceps contract. His hair was wet. When his shirt hiked up, Sousuke could see that, beneath his sweatpants, he wore his swimsuit.

He looked away, trying to dispel the ball of jealousy in his throat.

/

" _Now **this** , you see, is real meat. A juicy, rare steak!_"

"Isn't that what you reward bloodhounds with?"

" _Piss off, Sousuke!_ "

He snickered, feeling his heart grow lighter being on Skype with Rin, who still talked to him even in the middle of eating lunch.

" _What, you not gonna eat?_ "

"No time. I'm revising for my test."

" _And that's really gonna help your stomach grumbling in the middle of it._ "

"You're not my mom, as far as I know."

They chatted for ten minutes or so, with Sousuke trying to go over his anatomy notes to some extent, but the ideas jumbled up in his head when he looked at them. Even more so when Rin muttered under his breath that having his diploma wouldn't help much once his shoulder got better. But he chose to act like Rin hadn't said anything. He was used to it.

Sousuke was convinced that he was going to flunk from the stress, but in the end, after having managed to knuckle down on his revision, he definitely had the means to get the pass mark, pretty much. The reason why he suddenly got down to cramming: the Iwatobi guy.

Sousuke couldn't go outside without seeing him, and it got on his nerves. He was fairly sure the guy wasn't following him, but still thought to keep his guard up throughout the day, just to make sure he wouldn't come across him somewhere in the corner of a hallway. At the same time, they were in the same university, and definitely lived in the same neighbourhood, but...

During class, Sousuke would feel his presence, and sometimes his stare, which would make him jerk his head up and stay awake. He didn't want the guy to spot him crashing out in a lecture, then tell about it. Though he didn't know why he imagined the guy tattling on him, it still put Sousuke on edge. So he kept up with the class. It wasn't too bad in the end, but it did make him a little hot under the collar.

While he was at it, Sousuke figured that he had to take the initiative. That way, it'd avoid pointless tensions if they ran into each other while Rin was in Tokyo.

"Say, one of the guys from Iwatobi..."

" _Huh?_ "

"One of them who's our age, trained all the time with Nanase. What was his name again?"

" _You talking about Makoto?_ "

Sousuke furrowed his brows, bored.

"No idea," he grumbled. "I said I don't remember his name. A guy with brown-hair, looks a little lost, but really tall. He's in some of my classes actually."

" _Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's him,_ " affirmed Rin. " _Tachibana Makoto; real friendly guy._ "

Sousuke nodded, not very interested. "If you say so. I don't know him, at any rate."

" _Better late than never, 'cause I'll tell you about him now. We don't talk with just the two of us so often, really, what with Haru always in the corner and all, and sometimes he's all Makoto talks about. But he's a good guy. With a great smile to boot._ "

"Watch it, it's saying this sort of stuff that can make anyone tell you're gay."

Rin grimaced at him through the camera, but grew red all the same. The topic didn't bother Sousuke, who had an inkling during his last year of high school, and had it confirmed when his best friend told him, face ablaze, that he'd shared a bed with his Iwatobi friend in Australia. A few minutes of Sousuke's blank look was enough to make Rin spill, and confess, not without great shame, that he'd gotten a massive hard-on the next morning, and not just because of his bladder.

" _What, anyone can see if a guy's good-looking. Especially him, right?_ "

"Smiles aren't the kind of thing I see when looking at guys, no."

" _All you gotta do is not be straight!_ "

"I won't be taking lessons from a guy who's been completely crazy for someone since 5th grade and who doesn't have the balls to tell them he likes them, let alone that he's gay."

Sousuke felt a smile come on from seeing more and more red creeping onto his best friend's cheeks, to the point that it blended with the bangs at his forehead. He looked ready to go on one of his killer rants at that point, so Sousuke quickly changed the subject.

"But if you're describing Tachibana like that, you sure he isn't going out with Nanase?"

Interrupted, Rin started to settle again, his blush toning down. But some surprise showed on his face.

" _Those two? Nah,_ " he shook his head, chewing his pasta. " _They're more like siamese twins than soulmates—_ " Rin sat up, and said a few words in English. Sousuke saw a blonde woman leaning in from the corner of the screen. " _Sorry Lori, I didn't hear you. I'm on Skype with Sousuke._ "

" _Oh, your friend, Sousuke? Let me see him!_ "

" _Wait, Russell's gonna get mad_ —"

" _Hi, Sousuke!_ "

Sousuke blinked, conscious of his poor English. "H...Hello."

" _Oh, what a handsome young man! Don't tell me you're cheating on Haru now, are you, love?_ " she added, her tone teasing.

"Right, Rin, I'll go and—"

" _I told you I'm NOT going out with him!_ "

It was everything Sousuke could do to not roll his eyes before he cut the call. He quickly messaged Rin, saying that he'd be free in the evening if he wanted to finish what they were talking about.

But he looked at the time, and saw that there were fifteen minutes before his test. He packed his things, went to make himself some coffee, then headed for his class. His heart thumped even louder with the happiness of being able to chat with his best friend.

Sousuke seated himself, got out his pencils, and scanned the classroom like usual. Then his gaze came across light green. Tachibana. He thought that, frankly, it was time to stop being a little shit and socialise later.

He addressed him with a curt nod, knowing that it wouldn't change much, then turned around to the test papers being placed in front of the students.

**To be continued...**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yup, this one's short, too...it'll get better in two weeks ;) Thanks for the feedback even though this is a small fandom (in France)!
> 
> [ **Original chapter** ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3736036/chapters/8388562)


	4. Moving forward to look for answers

It was a little more than a week before they interacted again. He didn’t avoid Tachibana, not purposely. Sousuke just went on with his life; his stagnant, frustrating life, but one that he adapted to somehow. He’d passed the first few tests, which was better than nothing. Though he didn’t forget the voice, at the back of his head, whispering that these past few months had been terribly long and boring.

It began to rain, _damn rainy seasons_ , and Sousuke clicked his tongue at the black clouds, showing no signs of letting up anytime soon. He took a look at his bag, his cloth bag, that wouldn’t protect any of his folders from the rain, should he dare go underneath. It wouldn’t pan out well for his shoes either.

So Sousuke did the only thing he could do: swear under his breath, and turn around.

He went to take a seat in the cafeteria, and took out his notes, his pencilcase; to ward off the cleaning ladies who peered at him with suspicion. He waited until they turned their backs, then laid his head into his hands, planted his elbows onto the table, and closed his eyes, deciding to just sleep through it.

But a clash woke him with a jolt, and he looked daggers at where the noise came from. But it was only some accident-prone girl, who’d slipped because of the wet floor. So he dismissed the incident, and went back to his nap. But then he heard another pair of footsteps approaching, becoming more urgent, before he heard an indistinct murmur, and the footsteps backed away again.

Sousuke thought he could finally get some sleep until he felt a stare on his back. Annoyed, he opened his eyes. He heard them nervously shuffling on the spot, and turned towards the entrance, before stopping dead. It was Tachibana, who froze in kind when their eyes met.

“Um, I’m sorry,” he started babbling. “The clerk wanted me to let people know that there are umbrellas free to use for anyone who’s stuck in the university, but obviously only after signing a form, in case people keep them when they’re on loan and—”

“Hm,” Sousuke cut in. “Okay.”

He didn’t waste any time packing his things, and slung his bag on his good shoulder. He walked towards Tachibana, who didn’t move, save for following Sousuke with his eyes, and stopped at his gaze, waiting. Sousuke felt that he could try being obliging for once in his life but, clearly, that wasn’t happening yet.

After several seconds of awkward silence, he grunted.

“Which way?”

“Ah! Sorry.” Suddenly understanding, he inclined his head in apology. “You go to the lodge at exit B…”

“Thanks,” Sousuke nodded, and prepared to leave again, before his retreating eyes made him pause. “…Why did you apologise?”

Makoto's eyes went wide at the question, which was valid, if a little odd. For a few seconds, Sousuke thought it would’ve been better to just let it go and leave instead, but he wanted an answer. Maybe because it had annoyed him.

“I mean, I’m the asshole here…” he continued, shrugging. “You could’ve left me to piss off, deal with the shower till it passed; I would’ve done that if I were you.”

An embarrassed smile quirked Makoto’s lips. “It’s just a habit, sorr—ah," he stammered. His cheeks grew pink. "Uh…”

Sousuke raised a brow, snickered softly, then took a step back.

“I get you’re a small fry from the country trying to find his way in the big city, but you’re gonna end up as someone’s slave at this rate…well, whatever. You can deal with that yourself. Thanks for the heads-up, Tachibana.”

Without further ado, he turned heel, and walked swiftly for the lodge, heaving a relieved sigh at the idea of being able to get home and park his ass in front of his TV. Returning to the exit, he came across Makoto again, who was also leaving. They took the same route, consistently twenty metres apart, opposite one another in every carriage, and didn’t spare any glance when their paths separated at the metro exit.

/

“Haru, we’re going to be late!” moaned Makoto, glancing at his watch.

“There’s a train every two minutes.”

“That’s no reason to leave at the last second!”

Haru rolled his eyes, calmly tying the knot of his shoelace, before standing to wordlessly follow Makoto. Fortunate enough to have a spare key, Makoto shut the door behind him.

“You know, one of these days, I won’t be there to pull you out of the bath every morning.”

“I know.”

“Then why don’t you do that yourself?!”

“You like doing it.”

Makoto sighed, his brows slightly arched, and muttered, “I’d never say I don’t, but there are days when I dream of entering your door and seeing you already ready to leave.”

“Hm.”

Upon seeing a train pulling up, they hurried their pace, and slipped inside just before the doors slid shut. Makoto thanked the powers above that their classes didn’t start before ten on Wednesdays, like Haru’s training did, and that they got a carriage that wasn’t packed with people. They even found places to sit, and a comfortable silence settled between them, with Makoto looking into space and reflecting on his last biomechanics class again.

When his gaze happened to fall upon a large silhouette, a few seats away, he tensed slightly.

Haru sensed his unease, and followed his eye. He blinked in a soft surprise.

“That’s…”

Makoto came out of his thoughts, quick to explain. “Uh, yeah, I bumped into him a couple of times in the university…”

“I didn’t know Yamazaki came back to Tokyo.”

“Yeah, me neither.”

Haru straightened his shoulders, and sunk back into his seat, his expression faintly irritated.

“Um, I think Rin just forgot to tell you about it…”

“I don’t care.”

Makoto felt a corner of his lip tug down, then shook his head, letting the conversation fade in the gentle summer morning. He knew that Rin and Haru didn’t talk too much, even though they were quite close. Though in the end, it wasn't Haru’s nature to chat.

Unconsciously, his eyes went back to Yamazaki again, who had his own closed and headphones over his ears. Makoto didn’t know him at all, and to be honest, their first conversation didn’t make him particularly want to change that. But Makoto didn’t think he was a bad guy; he didn’t think it was that black and white, that a person could be naturally bad. But Sousuke’s scowl and biting words from their first meeting certainly didn’t inspire any sympathy on his part.

Afterwards, though, they were able to have a civil conversation, so there wasn’t any animosity between them. It was just they didn’t know anything about other, and that nothing had told them beforehand that that would change. Sousuke definitely remained as a familiar face that he passed by every now and then, someone he could say hi to, but nothing more.

His mind set, Makoto sighed, and began reviewing his class notes again.

/

Sousuke wasn’t in a good mood. He treaded heavily, scowling at the floor, his hands in his pockets. He didn’t want to see anyone.

His last check-up didn’t go well, since his doctor had told him that he had to stop going to the gym for a week, was only allowed to do a few stretches in the morning, and had to let his shoulder rest for a while. Then he gave him a brace that was even more constricting than the last.

He felt handicapped with the thing. He could hardly lift his arm. And the idea of not being able to train even a little made him sullen, because for the past while, it was the only thing he was looking forward to every morning.

His jaw clenched, he tryed to trace his route among the throng of students who loitered in the hallway. He didn’t see one of them hurtling in, late for a class, and who collided into his right shoulder in their haste.

His entire body stiffened, his clamped teeth hardly letting out a hiss, and the acute pain made him stagger and drop his things. He heard an apology, and couldn’t even see the face of the guy who took off again. All that Sousuke could do was to stay hunkered down, his fists tight to keep a tear of pain, of humiliation, from leaking out.

But then he saw someone leaning down to gather his books. He looked up, and was taken aback to see Tachibana, who held them out to him with a light, sheepish smile.

“Here.”

Some shame swelled in his gut, and he bristled, instinctively wanting to reject his help. But Makoto slipped the books into his hands, gave him another smile, perhaps a little forced, and then left straight after.

Sousuke watched him walk away with a creased brow, because he didn’t get it.

/

“I don’t get it.”

Makoto jerked up his head, surprised to see one broad-shouldered Sousuke sit next to him on the train.

“Uh…”

“Thanks. It was nice of you, earlier. Even if I can’t get why you did that.”

Raising a brow, Makoto opened his mouth, taking a moment with his words.

“I…It’s normal, I mean…Plus, I know you’ve some worries with your health, so—”

“It was out of pity?”

Makoto blinked, before he let out a laugh.

“Well, yeah, a bit.” Sousuke looked nonplussed at the admission, so he continued. “You say it as if it’s a bad thing, but it’s not that I find you pitiful! I mean, it’s normal to help someone you know, isn’t it?”

Sousuke stared at him, wide-eyed for several seconds, making Makoto lightly blush under the weight of it.

“No, it’s not normal.”

“Eh?” blurted Makoto.

“Yeah, I’m telling you, it’s not.” He ran a hand through his hair, carrying on. “You say we know each other, but the only thing that I’ve done is treat you like shit. I swear, you’re acting the complete opposite of how you should with an asshole who talks to you like you’re some mutt, just because he’s in a shitty mood.”

Makoto looked him in eyes for a minute, before he burst into laughter, to Sousuke’s complete bewilderment again.

“You’re the weird one here!” Makoto hiccuped, clutching his sides for a long moment. “I’m often told I’m too nice to others, but I’ve hardly had anyone tell me like _that_!”

“Are…you making fun of me?”

“Maybe a bit…”

Sousuke observed him in a brief daze, before a smile crept along his face.

“I wouldn’t have guessed that Jesus reincarnated into some Japanese guy lost in his capital.”

“And I wouldn’t have believed that Yamazaki Sousuke was the type to insult himself every two seconds.”

Their train stilled, and they continued to chat while disembarking. Sousuke wasn’t even dwelling on his painful shoulder, or what his doctor had told him that morning. They decided to grab a coffee together.

**To be continued…**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for your comments, and sorry for not posting on time, I'm in New Zealand and I don't really have a notion for time anymore lol.
> 
> Also, I know that Free took place around the year 2000; I've knowingly made it so that this fic takes place in 2014. 
> 
> [ **Original chapter** ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3736036/chapters/8539819)


	5. Moving forward from a train long gone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The M rating for the part 1 is for this chapter B)  
> Thanks again to Yasmina, and for your comments, they make me really happy!  
> Be happy that I woke up and suddenly remembered about this, otherwise I would've totally forgotten about posting it lol (10 hours of jet lag'll do that, so forgive me)

Sousuke exhaled, the burning shower water running down his back making him hiss. He stretched his shoulder, and grimaced when he felt a little pain blossoming there. And because of fearing them, of feeling them, the ache became more unbearable than any other wound.

He closed his eyes and tried to forget about his injury. It was too early for this bullshit. He thought about other things. His biology course came to mind, but he wasn't so masochistic that he'd replace one kind of agony with another. He thought of Rin, who was going to take part in his first competition in Australia at the end of the week, and remembered that he had to find some illegal site with a channel would stream the event.

His thoughts skirted to Tachibana, and the quaint cafe they'd visited over the past week. In the end, it wasn't so bad to be sociable once in a while. They'd mainly talked about classes, or the weather, but Sousuke wasn't looking for stirring conversation. Having someone to say hi to in the morning was already better than nothing, so he didn't complain.

During that conversation, he'd recalled what Rin had said. That Tachibana wouldn't have a conversation without talking about Nanase; now he'd seen proof. That he was nice; he definitely hadn't been unfriendly. That he had a nice smile; well, he didn't really mark that one down. Even with girls, that wasn't what caught his eye in the first place.

The thought brought a few mental images he appreciated, from porn he'd seen, or his past girlfriends. It was true that it had been a while since he'd done anything. Since all this crap with his shoulder, he'd stopped chasing after skirts, having more important things to think about.

He lowered his hand towards his sex, still soft, and thought it could make for some stress-relief for the day. Images flashed behind his eyelids, and he quickly grew hard. He let out a sigh while remembering his last girlfriend, especially her legs, firm and strong, wrapping around his waist. He thought about her mussed brown hair, falling back down again his chest, that rose faster and faster under their rocking.

He ran his thumb over the swollen head, and let out a soft rasp, a shiver coursing through to leave goosebumps over his arms. It only took a few more strokes before he came in his palm.

Satisfied, he rinsed his hand, soaped it again, and left his shower feeling that today would be a good one.

/

Hand clasped around Haru's wrist, Makoto dragged him towards the train doors closing fast. Miraculously, they entered the carriage in time, though went out of breath. Still on the step of the sliding doors, Makoto heard a teasing chuckle from his right, and turned to see Yamazaki's goading smirk. But any smile he had wiped clean off his face when he saw Haru at his side.

They crossed the carriage swiftly, and Makoto greeted Sousuke with a quiet 'morning'. As soon as they sat down, he turned to Haru.

"Don't make that face," he chided lightly. Haru's brows puckered in a frown, and he kept his gaze turned away.

"I told you, I don't care."

"And I know that's not true," sighed Makoto. "Look, I never really knew what happened between you two, but he isn't a bad person." When Haru didn't respond, Makoto shook his head. "You'll have to tell me one of these days."

"There's nothing to tell."

"Haru!"

Weary, Haru finally turned around, his eyes a clear blue. But he only saw Makoto's sincerity, and could only resign a pout.

"I don't see the point," he murmured. "Really."

"It's not just that fight from middle school so long ago, huh?"

"No..." his gaze slid over to the window. "I'll tell you later."

Haru was always like that, having difficulty with opening up, unless he was in a comfortable environment. So Makoto was content with leaving it there, and shifted his quiet attention to Sousuke, who messed around on his phone.

/

"Rin wants you to tell Nanase that he has a race on Saturday."

"Huh? He's competing already? And, uh, why does Rin want me to say?"

"He asked me to do it, but it'll be easier if you tell him." Sousuke flipped his index card, shrugging. He thought to take advantage of the few minute break he had till his next class to pass on the message. "It's natural."

"Okay, but why wouldn't Rin tell him directly?"

"I wouldn't know," Sousuke said, holding back a laugh. He wasn't sure that ''cause he playing the bashful lover' would make a good response. "Ask him."

But that didn't seem to be the right answer either.

"Ugh!" Makoto threw his head into his palm, exasperated. "What's with all of you and communication!"

The frustration, more serious than what he was used to, made Sousuke's eyes widen. But just as suddenly, a rosiness spread across Tachibana's cheeks.

"I mean, it's not something you can do about, but between Haru who's never been very talkative, Rin who left to Australia without telling him anything, and...and you, who got aggressive with me since the first day, it's a bit overwhelming for me! I don't blame you, though, but it's just that—"

He was cut off by a sonorous laugh, and Sousuke was shaking his head. Still a little red, Makoto went still, watching him cover his eyes in his mirth.

"No, you definitely got something there. Maybe it's a swimmer thing." he admitted, his chuckles subsiding. He soon regained his composure, his eyes a touch hazy. "Though, really, I don't know anything about it, and I admit that I don't feel like knowing why he suddenly asked me this morning. But I'm counting on you, Tachibana."

"Okay. Thanks."

He nodded, and walked away without another word.

/

[ _i passed on the message, but damn Matsuoka i'm not your carrier pigeon._ ]

Rin fell back on his bed in a groan, an arm thrown over his eyes. Even though Sousuke was his best friend, sometimes he got on his nerves. Particularly when he made Rin out to be some delicate rosebud.

He threw his sweaty top, drenched from his before-bed stretching exercises, in a basket that came with the apartment in the corner of the room. Then he stared at the ceiling, his thoughts dark.

He really wished that it were more simple, that the reason why he was incapable of only contacting the guy he liked was shyness. But he'd already passed that stage. Rin was able to hold a conversation with him, and at that level, nothing would ever change.

The only problem was distance. It was that Haru almost never touched electronic devices. Rin had tried, once, to compel him to open up Skype. But all they did in the end was watch each other through the camera, since Haru didn't talk much in the first place, and have an embarrassing and listless conversation.

They weren't made for that, for phone calls. They had nothing to say to each other when that happened. So Rin had stopped, preferring to keep his distance with frustration, though he feared their friendship, which was already affected harshly by the past, would take even more blows because of it.

He didn't understand why it wasn't working. With Sousuke, it was simple. Maybe because he didn't think about him since morning, including his sacred daily pleasure session.

True, Rin felt a little pitiful, and maybe Sousuke did have some sense in telling him he acted like a starry-eyed girl at times. Maybe things would've been different if he were able to tell Haru everything before leaving. Maybe not. If there was really one thing that he was sure of, it was that he could never tell how Haru would react.

So he made do with his memories, of Haru's back close to his during their trip to Australia, of his eyes glimmering as soon as they arrived in front of a pool, of his imploring voice, during those famous Regionals that had definitely changed how Rin viewed his old friend.

He knew for a few years now that he was gay, so it wasn't that that had been the most surprising. Rather, it was realising how long it was that he had been, unknowingly, obsessed with Haru; Understanding that his crush didn't date back to yesterday, that his admiration that sprouted from grade school had nothing to do with his twisted, adult feelings.

And if Rin didn't really see himself telling his feelings to him one day, the current situation (when they were able to communicate) satisfied him; despite everything, he refused to fail in his rise to the top. He wanted to get there with Haru, that wasn't negotiable. And for that, Haru _had_ to watch him race. Because not having him in the lane over already affected Rin, he didn't even imagine what would happen if Haru didn't even watch him accomplishing his dreams.

He grumbled and typed quickly, annoyed.

[ _He never looks at his phone._ ]

[ _if you never send him msgs it's obvious he won't_ ]

Rin raised a brow, not understanding what Sousuke meant. Haru knew their first conversation had been a flop, so why would he expect to see Rin continue to try? An idea came to mind, and a touch of hope fluttered within Rin as he typed again.

[ _What, is he waiting for me to send him one?_ ]

[ _what would i know ask tachibana_ ]

The response wasn't really up to his expectations since, in the end, Sousuke simply expressed his annoyance about seeing him not trying at all and then came to complain about it to him.

[ _You didn't tell Haru yourself?_ ]

[ _lol_ ]

Rin let out a long groan at the reply, and sat up cross-legged, making his pillow fall to the floor.

[ _I'm serious_ ]

While he waited for a response, his eyes wandered to his shoebox room, the only apartment that was cheap enough for him to get in Sydney. He heard the traffic, outside, and only the city lights brought a glow to his room, along with a small bedside lamp. Not really comfortable, that was for sure, and sometimes cold, but he managed. There were some sacrifices that he could afford to take.

[ _so am i. you need me to remind you that there's not much love between me and nanase or..._ ]

[ _That I'll know about when you tell me the fucking story. I thought it was over_ ]

[ _i already told you it doesn't concern you._ ]

His brows creased with irritation, but he stopped typing his reply when another one from Sousuke arrived, the reflection of a car's headlights from below coming at that moment to illuminate the room.

[ _go ask him yourself itll give you two conversation material at least_ ]

[ _Hahaha very funny_ ]

[ _at your service_ ]

With that, Rin decided to give it a try, hopping onto his feet. Nothing ventured nothing gained. Plus, even if Haru didn't respond, he could badger him with messages until he did. Worst case scenario would be asking Makoto to give him the key to open up the mute clam that was Haru, because frankly, Rin didn't have the confidence to look for it himself. He shifted his weight several times, from one leg to the other, maybe a little nervous, before he finally started to write.

[ _First race on Saturday, you'd better watch me win._ ]

He sent the message quickly, not wanting to back out. Then he got up, stretching his arms above his head, and went to take a shower before going to bed, because he had training early the next morning.

When he came back to his 10-square-foot bedroom, he went to check his laptop. There was no reply. Only a small 'Seen 21:11'.

Though Rin started to grumble about 'that cold bastard', a light smile crept across his lips.

**To be continued...**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Starting from next week, the chapters will finally get longer. Though these short ones didn't last long tho lol


	6. Moving forward to learn how to speak again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Yasmina for her editing!

" _It seems we've underestimated this newcomer! Look at him, slicing through the water like nobody's business! Yes, him, we're going to follow meticulously! Taking first place for the 100 metre butterfly **and** free, getting 57 seconds 67 for the latter; it really is a day to remember! We won't forget about Rin Matsuoka, and I don't think his fellow teammates will, either!_ "

Sousuke's lips erupted into a wide grin, the sight of his best friend coming first warming his heart. He knew Rin wouldn't see it right away, but the first thing he did was change windows on his laptop and send a congratulatory message to him.

After double-checking his text, he stretched his arms up and rolled his chair back, letting his gaze slide up to the white, slightly dirty ceiling in his student dormitory. There were two weeks left before the summer holidays started, two weeks of end-of-term exams. He could go see his parents, but he knew that summer was a hectic period of them, and the small fishing enterprise they started in their retirement would be booming under the sunshine. And frankly, there was only one place where he wanted to be during his vacation, and that wasn't the library.

Sousuke had started to maintain some contact with Gou again, who wished for him to see her brother in Australia as much as he did himself. But if that had been only an idea in passing, Mrs. Matsuoka had admitted being much more reassured at the idea of a boy, who was also older, accompanying her daughter on a trip. So she kindly offered him a ticket at half-price, so that they could go surprise her "imbecile of a son".

Sousuke was looking forward to it, which was putting it lightly, to reunite with his friend, and the idea alone put him in a stellar mood. So it was with nearly as much enthusiasm that he packed his things to hit the gym, antsy to resume his training that had been on hold since his doctor's request.

He jogged to the university gym, already sweating upon arriving, the summer heat still strong at 5 P.M. and sticking to his skin. He changed, finally stripping off his damned brace, filled his water bottle, and went to work on the cable pulley machine. He grimaced at having to start off light, but it was good that he could ramp up the weight soon after. After ten minutes, a familiar heat diffused throughout Sousuke's body, and he could switch shoulders with a smile, appreciating his ability to lift the weight, and feeling the welcoming burn deep in the muscles of his arm.

He listened to his music while heading to the treadmill next, and the minutes flew by without him realising. He didn't think about anything anymore, and sweet euphoria overrode his senses. Then, he instinctively went for the barbells. He lifted ten kilos, with two arms, easily. He added ten more. Twenty reps came easy. So he went to thirty. His smile didn't leave his face.

It was only when he sat up to add more weights that he spotted two green eyes, stilling him. Sousuke wanted to wave with his right arm, and thought that his heart stopped. He could hardly lift it to say hi to him.

An glacial cold enveloped Sousuke, who maybe panicked a bit, and checked his shoulder without thinking; his weak, traitorous shoulder that seemed give way again. But it wasn't red, swollen, or anything.

When Makoto approached, perplexed from seeing his sudden shock and anxious expression, Sousuke had understood, and calmed down. He couldn't lift his left arm any more than he could his right. The same for his legs, which were quivering beneath him. Nothing resulted from ruining his joints anew. He just spent two hours doing intensive exercise, and his body had worked to the limit, but not in the bad sense. That was all.

"Yamazaki," Makoto greeted, worried upon seeing him abruptly sit on the floor. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, yeah..." Sousuke replied offhandedly, his left hand hiding his face since he didn't want to risk his right.

Makoto cocked his head, venturing. "It's...?"

Sousuke didn't want to tell him. He finally sighed.

"Nothing."

Even he felt the chill that settled between them after his response. He swallowed.

"Don't worry," Sousuke muttered, softly now. "Sorry I talked to you like that."

"No, no..."

He finally lifted his head to Makoto, who seemed to have come from the pool again, his towel on his hair and the back of his T-shirt damp. Sousuke felt quite ashamed, reacting like that. His shitty habit to keep everything to himself and to push others away would kill him one day, he was sure of it. So he tried to change it, even though at heart he didn't want to hear Makoto's answer so much.

"Good swim?"

Makoto goggled him with surprise, and even he seemed to sense that it was a sensitive topic for him. So, because he was too dear for this world, he skilfully changed the subject.

"Yeah, but I still prefer Iwatobi's pool. There, we each had a part to ourselves, which was nicer than this jam-packed one."

"Welcome to Tokyo, small fry."

Makoto chuckled, delighted that the mood lifted between them. He didn't have any idea why Sousuke had been aggressive, but felt that it probably didn't concern him. So he eased himself into carrying the conversation, not mentioning Sousuke's earlier bout of anger any longer.

They continued chatting comfortably, between two abdominal exercises and their stretches, and Sousuke gradually forgot the violent thumps of his heart when he thought he'd screwed up again. Though he wasn't far from it.

They changed clothes side-by-side, still talking about everything and nothing. His company was pleasant, Makoto thought. He wouldn't have really believed that earlier, but it just went to show, it was good to always have some hope. Sousuke was a nice guy, a little withdrawn and rough around the edges, but someone he could class as more than a simple acquaintance. And if he already had new friends in Tokyo, being able to make friends with someone from his place of birth was obviously even better.

Sousuke finished drying his hair, tossing the towel into his bag after his shower, and turned to check if Makoto was ready to go soon. Makoto was already looking at him, but lower than he'd expected.

"My pants dirty?"

Makoto sharply snapped up his head, his eyes wide just as his ears grew pink, and nodded. Sousuke rubbed them down to clean them, and soon forgot about it.

It was dark when they left, and walked towards the train station.

"Ah, I'm getting off at the same stop as you this time, since I'm not going to Haru's," Makoto said, a few minutes after they boarded the train.

"Hm. You're really close with Nanase," Sousuke noted. He looked up from his seat, legs numb from his workout. "Rin told me about it, but I didn't think you two were that close."

"Yeah, I've been told that our relationship is a little strange..." Makoto let out a sheepish chuckle, and shrugged, standing and gripping the pole during the curves. "We've been stuck together ever since we were small, so I'm not really used to spending more than a weekend without seeing him. Now we don't live next to each other anymore, and that's already changed a lot."

"Because you were also neighbours?" He laughed in confirmation, and Sousuke rolled his eyes in the half-empty carriage. "It's good that you two get along. Rin and I would've already killed each other if we spent that long with each other without a break."

"But you were roommates in Samezuka, weren't you?"

"Yeah," he was compelled to nod. "But hey, I hadn't seen him in five years, so we had to make up for lost time. Goes to show; only one year and he has to go to Australia to take a break from being around me.

Makoto could only smile, and their train rushed into a tunnel, the rumbling cutting their conversation.

"He has to be missing you, too," he replied. "I'm sure of it."

"Hm. Well, I'm going to Australia for the holidays anyway, so..."

"Really? That's great! For how long?"

The train slowed to a stop, the doors opening and letting the sweltering air into the carriage, before leaving again soon.

"Gou and I are planning to go there for the first week. A little surprise, seeing as he's got a week off, too, then. I'm coming back on Sunday. Gonna cram as early as I can."

"How lucky! Haru and I are going to go back to Iwatobi. But, well," his voice held a longing to return. "I really feel like seeing everyone again. And the sea, too."

The train stopped once more, and this time, they disembarked, slowly making their way to the exit.

"Come on, Tokyo's not so terrible, still."

"You never miss Tottori?"

"Sometimes. Let's just say that..." The words died on his tongue, but he decided to bring them back, a nostalgic smile on his lips. "I left thinking that that would let me go pro. So at the time, I imagine the excitement overshadowed the gloom of it all."

Makoto seemed truly taken aback to hear that, but nodded, a gentle smile tugging the corners of his lips at the confession he'd never thought he'd hear. They soon arrived at the end of their shared path. However, Sousuke looked away slightly.

"Hey, Tachibana."

Makoto stopped, and turned to face him, a few metres ahead of him. Night fell, street lamps started shining bit by bit, and cars drove by beside them, their headlights casting their shadows back before disappearing.

"Sorry about earlier. For talking to you like an asshole, I mean..." he wiped a hand on his pants, and looked down, scuffing the tarmac with his shoe. "It's...actually been a while since I've been allowed to go to the gym. Because of my shoulder."

The words seemed to linger for a few seconds, and Makoto thought it was the first time since he knew Sousuke that he was broaching the subject. And he would never have believed that he would do it out of his own free will. His heart pumped a little faster.

"I was really happy, getting another chance. And then, the idea of going to Australia, where Rin's won his race, and even getting on with him like before...I wasn't thinking, and I worked more than I should've. I freaked out afterwards, thinking that I'd screwed everything up again, which made me speak to you like that. I'm really sorry."

He finally plucked up the courage to look at Makoto, hoping his expression conveyed how well and truly sorry he was, but saw only a smile, sincere and astonishingly soothing, looking back at him.

"You don't need to, really."

"But I do!" Sousuke scrunched his brows, and approached closer. "Tachibana, you really have to stop forgiving whatever and whoever. If I'm being a dick, then tell me. I don't deserve anything less."

Makoto blinked in amazement, before shaking his head, laughing.

"You wanted to tell me why you reacted like that, but I didn't ask you for anything! It's really alright, I get it now, and that's great. But if you need to hear it, I accept your apology, no worries." His expression, facing Sousuke's gaping, brightened again. "I'm not Rin, you know. A few words won't bother me..."

"Agh, I know!" he exclaimed, dragging his hand over his face. "But still, I swear, I don't know anyone else like you. It's unnerving!"

Makoto laughed heartily, and the street lamp above their heads lit up.

"If I'm a small fry lost in Tokyo, then you're a city boy who has trouble understanding others..." he slid a hand into his pocket, and pulled out his phone. "Now that I think about it, tell me your email. It'll be easier to find me in the university if Rin has another message he needs to pass on..."

Wide-eyed, he watched Makoto. A guy that seemed to willingly want to come into his life after realising that he might have needed it. A guy that was ready to help people even if they didn't good impressions. In the end, Sousuke found himself smiling, too.

"Get ready for your name on my phone to be Jesus."

/

Haru closed his laptop, and fell back on the floor, staring at the ceiling. He got out his phone, and saw that it was 10 P.M. In Sydney, it was midnight. He should've been sleeping by now.

Yet he continued to watch the race, behind his eyelids. It was strange seeing it from that angle, listening to commentators talk about the stroke of someone he knew. Soon he'd be seen in the same way, too, when he was swimming. His first competition, at regional level, was approaching.

He sighed, remembering his English homework, and thought that was only another reason why not to call Rin. But he stayed unmoving, without making any gesture towards his bag. He continued to look at his screen. And opened up Skype.

The chimes of the ringtones stretched in his ears. He straightened in his seat, his attention shifting to his window. He was a bit frustrated to look outside and not see the ocean, the peaceful landscape of Iwatobi, but a mass of buildings instead. He missed Iwatobi and its salty air. But his thoughts were interrupted when he suddenly heard a voice that, he thought for a moment, brought him back to his house on a hilltop, across which the wind weaved in and out to continue through the rocky mountains and glide over the waves.

 _"Haru? Is it really you?_ "

Haru puckered his brow, a bit shaken by the strange emotion that gripped him, maybe resembling nostalgia. But the words filtered to his brain, he processed them, and softly blinked, looked at his black screen, to respond in a flat tone.

"You can't tell?"

" _Uh, yeah, yeah, but I didn't expect you to call!_ "

"Did I wake you?" he asked, surprised by the unfamiliar pitch in Rin's voice.

" _No! I—_ " he coughed lightly. " _I'm happy you called me..._ "

Haru was still perplexed for a moment, unused to hearing him stammer. Nervousness was something out of place when it came to Rin, something that didn't suit him. After a while of silence, Haru managed to remember why he called Rin in the first place.

"Congratulations."

The simple word lingered, like a gull splitting the skies to soar over the sea.

" _You watched the race?_ " asked Rin, disbelief quieting his voice.

"You told me to, and you asked Makoto to tell me, too."

" _I know, but I wasn't sure._ "

"Ah."

Another silence settled, which Haru found comfortable. He was rather happy to be able to talk to Rin. He didn't know how to describe the feeling. Maybe the same as coming back home.

" _Argh, why is it always like this with you!_ "

The exclamation resounded in his ears, shaking him from his quietude, and the serenity was lost. Unfortunately, it seemed that Rin didn't share his sentiment.

"What?"

" _You never talk; it's insane!_ "

"What do you want me to talk about?"

" _I don't know! Something!_ "

A little stung, now that the moment had definitely been broken, Haru murmured, "I've nothing to say."

" _Well, how do you do it with Makoto?_ "

"He's the one who talks about his week," he replied, straightforward.

" _I should've known..._ " groaned Rin. " _Then, you can just do the same, right?_ "

Haru blinked, then searched for something interesting enough to talk about. He found this ridiculous. So he said the first trite phrase that came to him.

"I swam all week. Sometimes twice a day. It was tiring."

" _Since when did swimming tire you?_ "

"The others in the team are annoying. They always want me to drag me along drinking with them."

A light laugh came in response, finally.

" _Given your natural talent for communication, that should work out well._ "

"Quiet."

Haru felt good, ultimately. Hearing him in the hollows of his ears, it felt like Rin was here with him, and not on the other side of the equator. It was rare that he, willingly, felt like talking.

"Are you living with your host family?"

" _Russell and Lori? Nah, they're too in the suburbs. I'm in a cheap apartment in Sydney. It's closer, and I prefer being downtown. But I spend most of my weekends at their place. I missed them._ "

Haru hummed. He smiled gently, recalling Russell and Lori, their strong accents, and their food which he'd never tried before. "That's good."

" _Ah,_ " he continued, beginning to ease into chatting. " _And Makoto, is he getting on well in university?_ "

Haru nodded, then remembered that Rin couldn't see him. That was why he didn't like using phones.

"Yeah. I only see him a few times a week. On Wednesdays we have to leave at the same time, so he comes to get me."

A few sounds of acknowledgement reached Haru's ears.

" _Hey, but now that I think about it,_ " wondered Rin suddenly. " _He's in the same university as Sousuke, right?_ "

He stiffened at Sousuke's name, and couldn't shake off the uncomfortable sensation that gripped him, imagining his best friend and Yamazaki being close. Yet he couldn't. They didn't even know each other.

"I bumped into him, too."

" _Looks to me that they get along well. Not surprising; Makoto gets along with everyone, after all._ "

"Mm."

Another awkward silence settled.

Rin groaned. "That's right, I can't talk about you two because of that _thing_ I don't know about..."

"What could that have to do with you..." grumbled Haru.

Then Rin seemed to really lose his patience.

" _It pisses me off that my best friend and the guy that I—uh, um...that...that two of my best friends can't stand each other!_ " Haru's stomach twisted. His throat dried. He didn't know why. " _Haru? You there?_ " Rin caught up quickly. " _Hey, you there?_ "

It felt like he'd missed something. That there was something he didn't know. And Haru didn't like that.

"Yeah, I'm here," he responded, still puzzled, lost.

" _At any rate, it's such a pain the ass, you two always being at each other's throats!_ " he continued, not giving Haru the time to ask any other questions. " _And especially without telling me anything!_ "

"What matters is that it's over." The unsettling feeling wasn't going away. He decided they'd talked enough for today. "You should sleep."

Rin didn't respond for a few moments, before he started rambling.

" _Y-Yeah, that's true, 'cause—you actually did wake me..._ "

"Mm. See you, Rin."

" _See you._ "

He hung up without another word. He was a little irritated, in the end. Because this was the second time someone talked about him and Yamazaki, and he didn't understand what was going on with Rin. He studied his Skype window for another moment. And typed, without thinking:

[ _he told me to leave you alone_ ]

Then he turned off his phone, not wanting to see Rin's answer.

**To be continued...**

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone, I'm here to present my first Free fic, which is also a long one!
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> As you could see, the main pairing is quite uncommon: Sousuke and Makoto. I'm not usually the type to ship couples that come out of nowhere, but I don't know why, the moment this idea came to mind, it wouldn't leave. After all, again, 1) They're both plenty sexy, and 2) I think there could be really good chemistry between them.
> 
> Obviously, being mindful that they're practically strangers, I'm not diving in straightaway. This fic, I wrote for only one reason, and it's the first sentence you read: to give a little happiness to the poor boy that is Yamazaki Sousuke. Because I don't know about you, but his ending, near the ocean, like he was going to commit suicide, I really couldn't accept it (even if the idea still makes me laugh out loud).
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> So I tried to imagine what could come next in his life, on top of being freshly abandoned by Rin (seriously, what a poor guy, it won't even surprise me if he really does throw himself into the sea!), and trying, desperately, to move forward. And for that, I thought that there well was someone who could help him get there, if they got to know each other.
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> Anyway, I obviously tried to make them as IC as possible, making sure that their meeting and the relationship that will follow will be PLAUSIBLE, and developed. Don't worry, it won't happen in two chaps, absolutely not.
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> This fic comes in two parts, and the first is currently finished and consisting of 20 chapters (the second will also be 20 chapters), so you have before you a chapter a week for 20 weeks ^^ But there'll also probably be a pause once the first part's finished, during which I'll finish the second and final part.
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> I update every Sunday, so don't ask when the next one's coming out, or I'll kick your ass for not reading my notes (and you'd be better off reading them y'know, they're important!)
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> A big big big thank you to Yasmina, my beta, reader, and friend, for her re-reading, her advice, and her presence! For those who follow me, no it's not snf who deals with the correction cus the lady's MakoHaru FTW (stay back).
> 
> In short, hope you liked the beginning, and the coming chapters too! Given the prologue's quite short, I'm posting chapter 1 right after.
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> This fic is cross-posted on ffnet and AO3. For the savants among you, the pitch resembles that of Future Earth Future Sky, but don't worry, I started writing before FEFSKY was published, and the plot gets different later on.
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> You can see my progress on my ffnet account (same username).
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>  _Translator's Notes_ :   
>  Hey guys!
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> As you can see, this is a translation of a French SouMako fic called _J'avance_. I'm studying French in school and want to pursue it in university, so when I found a whopping 58K-and-counting word long French Free! fic, it was definitely the best of both worlds for me! I got to brush up on my French, _and_ get swept along in a long, slow build fic at the same time :D I started translating the Prologue, just for fun, and I got really into it since I'm a sucker for languages and their nuances ^^" So I went and got permission from the author to take on the whole thing, and this is the result! I've made sure to cover the original tags, chapter titles, beginning + end notes, as well as the meat of the fic itself :)
> 
> Obviously I'm just an amateur translator, but I took some liberty with the translation and aimed to retain the original's essence rather than its exact wording (as well as some unclear pronouns and epithets when it got unclear). It's also my first time translating, too, but I hope it's still an enjoyable to read without too many mistakes anyway!
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> Also, if you like this fic and want to leave kudos, please, _please_ remember to leave kudos on the original work, too! I've seen English translations get more kudos than the original fic itself, which I think is just plain unfair, even though there aren't any bad intentions behind it. So if you wanna leave kudos, or even a comment, make sure to go to [the original fic](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3736036/) so Papy_1412 knows, too! After each translated chapter comes out, I'll stick a link to the original chapter so you can leave hearts or some kind words, no need to Google Translate x)
> 
> This'll really be the only note I'll leave on the translation (making the end notes for this even longer than the prologue itself 8')), so the rest of the end notes will all be from the original fic! Hope you can stick around and enjoy the story from here on out as I have! :D


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